How Can You Get Cheap Car Insurance in St. Catharines?
You can get cheap St. Catharines car insurance by finding the best deals. Here are several tips to help you do so:
Compare Rates Between Insurers
St. Catharines has a highly competitive auto insurance market, so insurers are constantly vying for your business. When insurers try to give you the best deals, it’s you who wins. Compare rates and shop around to see which insurance provider fits your auto protection needs affordably.
Take Bundled Policies
One of the best ways to save money while shopping is to buy a package deal, and insurance is no different. If you bundle home and auto insurance from the same company, you’re much more likely to get lower rates.
Ask For A Higher Deductible
You must pay a deductible on insurance claims before your carrier covers the remaining expenses. A higher deductible means paying extra if something happens to your car, but it also means you’ll get lower insurance premiums.
Request Group Discounts
Many insurance companies deal in group discounts for companies and other organizations. If you’re shopping for auto insurance in St. Catharines for work, ask your agent about group deals and discounts.
Pay Annual Premiums
Paying annual insurance premiums might look expensive initially, but it’s generally cheaper than paying them monthly. Ask your insurers about half-year premiums if you can’t afford annual premiums.
Drive Safely
Motor vehicle offences and accidents stay on your record for years. Unfortunately, any driving violation on your record will considerably increase your insurance rates. However, this also means you’ll get lower auto insurance rates if you have no offences on record.
Consider Taking Usage-Based Insurance
Usage-based insurance (UBI) or pay-as-you-go insurance tracks your driving behaviour to determine how much you must pay for insurance. Taking UBI lets you save up to 30% on your annual premiums, so it’s a good option if you consider yourself a safe driver.
Take Driving Courses
Accredited driving lessons make you a safer driver and let you earn discounts on auto insurance in St. Catharines.
Choose the Coverage You Need
Naturally, more insurance protection leads to higher rates. While some auto insurance coverage is mandatory, you have optional insurance coverage like at-fault accident and theft protection. Review your policy and skip unnecessary optional coverage to save on insurance premiums.
Buy Affordable Cars
Cars that are expensive and hard to replace tend to get hit with higher premiums. If possible, buy affordable and reliable cars that are more common and easy to repair or replace if you want lower insurance rates.
Quick Facts About Auto Insurance in St. Catharines
- St. Catharines car insurance is MORE expensive than the Ontario average.
- The average annual car insurance cost in St. Catharines for a driver with comprehensive/collision coverage and a clean record is around $1,390.
- Comparing St. Catharines auto insurance quotes with MyChoice can save you up to $987 annually.
Who Provides Car Insurance Quotes in St. Catharines?
Insurance brokers, agents, aggregators, and direct writers provide car insurance quotes in St. Catharines. Here’s an overview of these four insurance quote providers:
Insurance Brokers
Insurance brokers are independent professionals who help you shop for the best rates by comparing deals from multiple insurers. Because they have a bird’s-eye view of the current St. Catharines insurance landscape, they can show you which companies offer the best insurance deals and answer any questions you may have.
Brokers take a commission from insurance companies, which could increase your rates. You might spend more money than if you had found an insurer yourself.
Direct Writers
Like insurance agents, direct writers only sell insurance products from one company. Direct writers are typically found online and are cheaper because they don’t have physical offices.
Insurance Agents
Insurance agents work for a certain insurer, so they can only offer their employer’s insurance products. However, they know their insurer like the back of their hands and might even give you discounts that brokers don’t have access to.
Additionally, insurance agents can close insurance sales independently, meaning you can purchase insurance from them right then and there.
Insurance Aggregators
An insurance aggregator website like MyChoice compiles rates from various insurance brokers, companies, and direct writers in one place. You can browse aggregator websites to find the best deals from the top insurance companies and get quotes instantly.
Better yet, insurance aggregators are accessible online and entirely free for customers, so you can look up insurance rates without spending a single penny or leaving the house.
The Best Car Insurance Brokerages in St. Catharines
Insurance brokerages can help you find a car insurance policy with the best value for your budget and needs. After you give them your information about your driving history, driving habits, and vehicle, they’ll be able to help you compare offers and answer your questions.
Feel free to contact these St. Catharines brokerages if you need help shopping around for an auto insurance policy:
Brokerage | Address | Phone number |
---|---|---|
BrokerLink | 195 King St St. Catharines, ON L2R 3J6, Canada | +19056883713 |
All-Risks Insurance Brokers Limited | 33 Lakeshore Rd #11 St. Catharines, ON L2N 7B3, Canada | +19059385078 |
Billyard Insurance Group – St. Catharines | 204 Niagara St Unit A St. Catharines, ON L2M 4V4, Canada | +19052282976 |
Sottile-Olsen Insurance Brokers Inc | 100 Fourth Ave St. Catharines, ON L2S 3P2, Canada | +19059844266 |
How Does Car Insurance Work in St. Catharines?
Car insurance in St. Catharines works by providing financial coverage in case something bad happens to you or your car, depending on the protection you choose. Auto insurance in St. Catharines is mandatory by local laws, which means you need car insurance to avoid fines or driver’s licence suspensions.
Worse still, if you get convicted of driving without insurance, you’ll get higher premiums from carriers. This makes driving again prohibitively expensive or even nearly impossible after being caught driving without insurance. That’s why getting auto insurance is essential before buying a car or driving in St. Catharines.
Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of your auto insurance policy:
The mandatory car insurance requirement for St. Catharines drivers are:
Third-Party Liability (TPL) Coverage
This insurance component provides financial compensation if you cause an accident that results in car damage or somebody getting hurt or killed. Per Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) regulations, you need at least $200,000 in TPL coverage.
Statutory Accident Benefits Coverage
This insurance component pays for your medical bills, rehabilitation, and possible funeral expenses if you get hurt or killed in a car accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Accident benefits coverage also offers income replacement worth 70% of your gross income, capped at $400 per week.
Uninsured Automobile Insurance
Uninsured automobile insurance covers your medical bills and funeral expenses if you’re struck by uninsured vehicles or hit-and-run drivers. Additionally, it compensates for vehicular damage caused by uninsured drivers.
Direct Compensation – Property Damage (DC-PD) Insurance
DC-PD insurance compensates you for the damage other drivers cause in an accident. However, DC-PD only kicks in if the other person is at fault, they’re also insured, and the accident takes place in St. Catharines.
Once you meet the minimum car insurance coverage requirements, you can legally drive in St. Catharines. However, it pays to have extra protection beyond the basics in case you get in an accident.
Since minimum car insurance only goes so far, we’ve got some extra St. Catharines car insurance recommendations for you:
Extra TPL Coverage
The mandatory $200,000 insurance minimum can be too small, so many drivers choose to get coverage up to $2 million if they cause property damage or hurt somebody in an accident.
Additional Statutory Accident Benefits
Many people get additional coverage for medical bills and funeral expenses in their statutory accident coverage. You can also get extra income replacement protection if 70% income capped at $400 a week seems too limited.
More Comprehensive Property Damage Protection
DC-PD coverage has very specific coverage terms like the other driver also needs to be insured, and the accident must occur in St. Catharines. To cover their bases, many people purchase extra insurance that still protects them even when the other driver is uninsured, and the accident happens in other provinces.
In addition to mandatory insurance coverage outlined by the FSCO, you can take optional insurance coverage like:
Specified Perils Protection
Specified perils insurance coverage protects you from loss or damage due to a specific cause. The most common perils insured are:
- Car theft
- Fire, earthquake, and explosion
- Weather, which includes windstorms, hail, and lightning
Many insurers also offer comprehensive auto insurance in St. Catharines if you want protection from all these perils.
Accident Forgiveness
Insurers usually raise your premiums if you’re at fault for causing an accident. If you’ve been a safe driver for several years, you can take extra accident forgiveness coverage so you won’t get higher premiums if you cause an accident. Note that accident forgiveness only works on your first accident, and subsequent violations will still raise your rates.
Limited Depreciation Waiver
If you take a limited waiver of depreciation, you can receive your car’s purchase price as compensation if it’s been stolen or deemed a total loss after an accident.
How Your Car Insurance Quotes Are Calculated in St. Catharines
Your car insurance rates are calculated based on how risky you are to insure. Naturally, drivers more likely to get into accidents will have higher premiums than those less likely to be in an accident.
Here are seven factors that influence your St. Catharines car insurance quotes:
Age, Gender, and Marital Status
Your personal demographics influence auto insurance premiums in St. Catharines because different people have varying accident risks.
Younger people tend to get higher premiums because insurance companies see them as more accident-prone than older people. Generally, your car insurance rates start decreasing when you hit 25 years old as long as you keep a safe driving record. However, insurance premiums increase again for people aged 65 and older because they’re more likely to be injured or killed in traffic accidents.
Women often get lower insurance rates because they’re seen as more careful drivers and don’t take as many risks as men.
Marital status also determines your rates because most insurance companies see married people as more financially stable and less-risky drivers. Married couples also tend to bundle home and auto insurance, saving more on premiums.
Location
People who live in urban areas often see higher insurance premiums because they’re more prone to car accidents and theft.
Car Make and Model
Expensive cars are more costly to repair or replace, so insurance premiums are usually higher than more common vehicles. You can install security features like anti-theft devices if you have an expensive car and want to save on insurance premiums.
Driving History
People who drive safely are rewarded with lower premiums because they’re usually less likely to get into a traffic accident. Conversely, people who have gotten into multiple accidents get higher premiums because they’re more likely to be involved in another accident down the line.
Driving Activity
Logic dictates that people who drive frequently are more likely to get in an accident. Therefore, kilometres driven is one of the determining factors that set your St. Catharines auto insurance rates.
Insurance Coverage Chosen
Your coverage options influence your insurance rates because taking more coverage gives you more protection. Naturally, the more coverage you choose, the higher your rates.
Policy Discounts
Getting discounts can lower your auto insurance rates and make them more affordable. You can typically get discounts by bundling home and auto insurance or asking for a group discount for your workplace or organization.
Most Expensive Postal Codes in St. Catharines
The average car insurance rate in St. Catharines is $1,390, which is more or less on par with Ontario’s provincial average of $1,385/year. However, there are some areas in St. Catharines that have higher auto insurance rates compared to the city’s average.
The L2T area in St. Catharines has the highest car insurance premium rates, detailed in the table below:
Postal code | Average annual car insurance premium |
---|---|
L2T | $1,462 |
L2P | $1,458 |
Least Expensive Postal Codes in St. Catharines
The L2N area in St. Catharines has the least expensive auto insurance rates in the city. You can find out more details below:
Postal code | Average annual car insurance premium |
---|---|
L2N | $1.344 |
L2V | $1,348 |
Car Insurance Cost in St. Catharines by Age
Car insurance companies will factor in your age when computing your car insurance rates.
As a rule, younger drivers are considered less experienced, and their inexperience is considered a factor that makes them more likely to get into accidents. This means younger drivers typically have higher car insurance premiums. As you get older, your car insurance rates will lower.
However, this reverses when you turn 65. Senior citizens are more likely to be killed or injured in car accidents, so your car insurance premiums will increase when you reach this age.
Here’s a quick glance at how your age affects the cost of car insurance:
Age | Average annual insurance cost | Average savings with MyChoice |
---|---|---|
18-20 | $4,962 | $987 |
21-24 | $2,836 | $564 |
25-34 | $1,890 | $376 |
35-44 | $1,390 | $276 |
45-54 | $1,140 | $227 |
55-64 | $969 | $193 |
65+ | $1,105 | $220 |
Car Insurance Cost in St. Catharines by Driving History
Like in any other city in Canada, car insurance premiums are affected by a driver’s driving record.
Generally, having more demerit points and traffic violations on your record will cause insurers to deem you a “high-risk” driver. This will result in higher premiums for auto insurance. On the other hand, a driver with a clean record is considered less risky to insure and will enjoy lower car insurance rates in St. Catharines.
While demerit points and violations only stay on your record in Ontario for two years, insurers may search back as far as 10 years into your driving history. This means even previous violations can affect your car insurance premiums.
Here’s a quick overview of how different traffic violations can affect the cost of your car insurance in St. Catharines, based on our research:
Driving violation | Average annual car insurance rate |
---|---|
Clean driving record | $1,390 |
Insurance cancellation due to non-payment | $2,280 |
Licence suspension for alcohol-related offences | $1,668 |
One accident | $3,058 |
Speeding ticket | $1,807 |
Other Factors That Affect Car Insurance Prices in St. Catharines
We’ve covered several factors that influence car insurance rates in St. Catharines. Aside from those, several extra factors play a part in determining your St. Catharines auto insurance premiums:
Vehicle Model Accident Rates
Some cars are just more accident-prone than others. Even if you have a spotless driving record, owning a car model infamous for having high accident rates will increase your insurance premiums.
Vehicle Age
Naturally, older cars are more expensive to insure because they may not have all the safety features of newer vehicles. If you insist on driving a vintage car everywhere, make sure you can pay the insurance premiums.
Vehicle Repair Costs
The harder it is to repair a car, the more expensive it is to insure. You can expect high insurance premiums on luxury cars and foreign cars that don’t have a large dealership or service centre presence in Canada.
Vehicle Primary Usage and Annual Mileage
You may spend more or less time on the road depending on what you use the car for. Car usage influences insurance rates – generally, the more you use it, the higher your premiums. For instance, insurance premiums on a car you use as an Uber will be higher than on a car you almost exclusively take on weekend cruises.
A good way to measure how much somebody uses a car is by its annual mileage. If your car has low annual mileage, insurers may determine that this car is low-risk and thus grant you more affordable insurance rates.
Local Crime Rates
Living in high-crime areas means your car is at higher risk of being stolen or vandalized. If you live in an area where theft or vandalism often occurs, you may get higher car insurance rates.
Past Insurance Claims
Any auto insurance claims will drive your premiums up, regardless of who’s at fault. If you make many insurance claims, the insurer will see you as a high-risk policyholder and give you higher rates.
Loyalty Bonuses
Many insurance companies reward long-term customers with discounted rates. If you’ve been a policyholder at the same insurance company for several years, ask for a rate reduction or discount when you renew your policy.
Driving in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, a.k.a. the “Garden City”, is Ontario’s sixth-largest urban area and the largest city in the Niagara Region. The city is located between the Canada–US border and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). It’s also Welland Canal’s northern entrance.
Is St. Catharines a good city to drive in? Here are some important facts about driving and commuting in this city:
- Major highways in St. Catharines: Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Highway 406
- Public transit options: St. Catharines Transit (bus)
- Ridesharing services: Uber, Lyft
- Parking space providers: The City of St. Catharines, private lots
- Top tourist attractions: St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre, Lakeside Park, 13th Street Winery, Woodend Conservation Area, Morningstar Mill, Niagara Falls (nearby), Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm
- Busy intersections: Welland Ave. and Ontario St., Ontario St. and St. Paul St.
- Airports: Niagara District Airport
Main Mode of Commuting in St. Catharines
Just like many other cities in Canada, St. Catharines has a sizable car commuter population, numbering 40,200 per census data. Most of these car commuters drive themselves, with 3,590 of them as passengers. Meanwhile, pedestrian commuters are the second-most populous in St. Catharines, with 1,825 people. Check the table below to learn more about the modes of commuting in St. Catharines:
Main mode of commuting | Counts | Rates |
---|---|---|
Total – 25% sample data | 44,635 | 100.0 |
Car, truck or van | 40,200 | 90.1% |
Car, truck or van – as a driver | 36,610 | 82.0% |
Car, truck or van – as a passenger | 3,590 | 8.0% |
Public transit | 1,360 | 3.0% |
Walked | 1,825 | 4.1% |
Bicycle | 355 | 0.8% |
Other method | 895 | 2.0% |
Commuting Duration in St. Catharines
Over three-quarters of commuters in St. Catharines get to work within 30 minutes. The remaining quarter mostly spends 30 to 44 minutes on their commute, but a smaller portion can take over 45 minutes. Here’s a detailed look at the commuting duration in St. Catharines:
Commuting duration | Counts | Rates |
---|---|---|
Total – 25% sample data | 44,635 | 100.0 |
Less than 15 minutes | 18,475 | 41.4% |
15 to 29 minutes | 16,450 | 36.9% |
30 to 44 minutes | 5,525 | 12.4% |
45 to 59 minutes | 1,660 | 3.7% |
60 minutes and over | 2,520 | 5.6% |
Driving Conditions in St. Catharines
A city’s driving conditions like rainfall and snow can affect road safety, and, consequently, affect your car insurance rates in an area. Here’s an overview of the average driving conditions in St. Catharines.
- Average daily commute time: 43 minutes round-trip
- Average annual rainfall: 754.2 mm
- Average annual snowfall: 137.1 cm
- Rainy days per year: 117 days
- Rainiest month in St. Catharines: June
- Driest month in St. Catharines: February
- Snow days per year: 42.7 days
- Snowfall months in St. Catharines: January – May, October – December
Traffic in St. Catharines
Formerly centred around manufacturing and heavy industry, services are increasingly becoming a bigger employer in St. Catharines. Its location makes it one of the major telecommunications hubs between the US and Canada, with many call centers operating in the city.
Designated as an Urban Growth Centre, St. Catharines is intended to reach a minimum density target of 150 jobs and residents combined per hectare by 2032.
Here’s a quick overview of the key traffic statistics in St. Catharines:
- Population: 136,803 people live within St. Catharines’ city limits.
- City area: St. Catharines’ city limits span 96.13 km2.
- Average commute distance: The average St. Catharines resident travels 15 km every day to their workplace or school.
- Time spent in traffic annually: The average St. Catharines resident spends 43 minutes in traffic daily, totalling roughly 262 hours per year.
- Busiest highways: St. Catharines’ busiest highways are Highway 406, Highway 58, and QEW. QEW is one of the busiest highways in Ontario, averaging 200,000 vehicles per day in its busiest
The Most Common Questions About Car Insurance in St. Catharines
Is ridesharing insurance available in St. Catharines?
Yes, ridesharing insurance is available in St. Catharines. Check with your car insurer to see if they provide ridesharing insurance and what rates they offer.
How much does St. Catharines car insurance cost?
On average, St. Catharines car insurance costs $1,390/year.
Is car insurance cheaper in St. Catharines than in Toronto?
Yes, car insurance is cheaper in St. Catharines than in Toronto. The average car insurance rate in St. Catharines is $1,253/year, while the average in Toronto is $1,796/year. Car insurance in St. Catharines is cheaper by approximately $560/year.
Why should you compare car insurance rates in St. Catharines?
You should compare car insurance rates in St. Catharines to get the best coverage for your needs and vehicle. Different car insurers provide coverage at different rates, and comparing their insurance rates will help you find the most affordable deal for your preferred amount of coverage.
Does my St. Catharines car insurance work in the US?
Yes, your St. Catharines car insurance can cover your vehicle if you travel to the US. Canada and the US have similar legal systems, so both countries typically recognize the other country’s insurance policies. However, it’s still best to check your policy with your car insurer – in some cases, you may need to get additional coverage